Force-feed cutting mechanism



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H. REHBEN,

FORGE FEED CUTTING MEGHANISM Filed Aug. 27 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet Ii G. um.m

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INVENTQR.

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EAMSZ H. REHBElN FORCE FEED CUTTING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 27. 1921 4Sheets-Sinaail 2 A TT ORNE Y.

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H. REI-:BEIM

FORGE FEED CUTTING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 27. 192i 4 Smets-Sheet 3 IN V ENTOR.

A TTORNE Y.

EAESZ H. REHBEIN FORCE FEED CUTTING MECHANISM jam l5 4 Sheessheet 4Filed Aug. 2'?. 1.921

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I N V EN TOR.

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Patented dan. l5, 192e.

entre arras I i: tft REHBEIN, F MISHICOT, WISCONSN.

FORCE-FEED CUTTING- MECHANISEI.

Application led August 27, 1921. Serial No. 4.961%.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, HERMAN REHBEIN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Mishicot, in the county of Manitowoc and G State ofWisconsin, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Force-Feed Cutting Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in lo self feeders or conveyersfor ensilage and silo cutters, and has for one of its objects theprovision of an auxiliary feeder or conveying mechanism to assist inthedelivery of the feed lto the cuttin knives.

Another object of t e invention resides in the provision of a feed tablehaving dare boards connected thereto and endless oonveyers mounted onthe flare boards cooperat- V ing and driven with the main endless con-20 veyers of the feed table to eectively deliver the feed to the cuttingmechanism.

Another object of the invention is the construction of a force feedmechanism of the class above set forth wherein a freely movadjacent thecompression rollers may accommodate itself to engage a greater or lessamount of material to be fed to the cutting knives.

Another object of the invention resides in a force feed mechanism havingflare boards including provision for mounting a pair of inwardly bentguards thereon whereby the material is discharged directly on the feedtable and its endless conveyers and directly to the cutting mechanism.

Another object of the invention consists in a force feed conveyingmechanism, the endless conveyer chains being free to vibrate, andincluding provision for deecting and wiping the material carrying prongsor plates of the chains and consequently prevent clogging of thematerial during the operation of the mechanism.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a force conveyingmechanism designed for use and adapted to be installed on varioustypes'of feed tables, and one in which the parts are extremely simple inconstruction, easily assembled, rigid and durable, highly eliicient inoperation and 'caf pable of being manufactured at a very low costwhereby its commercial possibilities are greatly enhanced.

able frame having feeding rollers mounted l attain these objects in theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side view ofa portion ofthe cutter and feeder, parts beingbroken away.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the ensilage and silo cuttershowing the feed table conveying mechanism and the Hare boad conveyingmechanism associated therewit Figure 3 is a plan of the mechanism shownby Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 4: is a side view showing the cooperating gearing or drivingmechanism for the endless conveyers.

Figure 5 is an enlarged transverse Section taken on the line 5 5 ofFigure 3.

Figure 6 is an enlarged transverse section on the line 6 6 of Figure 1.

Figure 7 is a detail section taken on the line 3K- 7 of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a view, partly in section, showing the adjusting ortightening mechanism for the feed table conveying chains.

Figure 9 is a sectional view taken on the line 9 9 of Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a detached view partly in section of the feed compressionframe.

Figure 11 is a sectional view taken on the line 11 11 of Figure 10.

Figure 12 is a section taken on the line 12-12 of Figure 10. i

` Figure 13 is a sectional detail of the shaft adjusting mechanism shownin Figure 10.

Figure 14 is a side view, and:

Figure 15 is a plan view of one of the conveyer chains.

Figure 16 is a detail view of the chain ti htening mechanism for theHare boards.

igures 17 and 18 are detail views of one of the links of the endlessconveyor chains.

`Referring now to the drawings wherein like parts designatecorresponding parts throughout the Several views, the main supportingframe comprises the usual standards or supports, longitudinal sills 6and transverse connecting beams 7 which constitute a rigid supportingstructure for the feed table 8 on which the material is thrown to becarried to the cutting mechanism.

The main drive shaft 9 having the usual y wheel 10 may be driven fromany external source of power to operate the revolv- Aing cutter 11mounted on said shaft, the

cutting knives 12 of which cooperate with a material thereto. The shaft9 has a spur arranged .in mesh with a second spur gear` The distributors rocket shaft 25* carries A ofthe upper compression vroller 16, andthe' gear 18 keyedon one of its ends and this gear is adapted to drive alarger spur gear 19 when the same are inter-meshed one with the other bymeans of an idler` spur gear 20 which is movable into and out of meshingrelation with the gear 18 through the mediumv of a hand lever 20a. Thelarge spur gear 19 is ke ed .on a stub shaft 21, which is supporte in asuitable bearing (not shown) on the outer face of one of the sides ofthe apparatus, and drives the same for the rotation of a second spurgear 21*a keyed thereon, which, in turn, drives an inter-meshin spurgear 22 keyed on the shaft 23 of t e compression roller 17. The handlever 2()zz is fulcrumed on the stub shaft 21, and is provided with alatchdevice20b which is cooperative with a tooth segment rack 20whereby'to be Vsecured in either of its operative or inoperativepositions. The upper compression roller 16 is carried on a ytransverselyextending shaft 16 which vis journaled in parallel relation tol andabove the shaft 23 of the lower compression roller 17, and has itsopposite ends supported in vertically slotted bearing ways 16b and 16termed in the opposite sides of the apparetus. i

At the opposite side of the apparatus, the driven shaft 23 of the 4lowercompression roller 17 is provided with a spur gear 23a 24 which, inturn, drives its stub shaft 24b and a sprocket wheel 24 carried thereon.Power from the shaft 23 is transmitted throuh this gearing andA sprocketto a wir r sprocket shaft 25 through the medi ot a Sprocket chain 24aconnecting the sprocket 24 to a sprocket wheel 25".

two sprocket whee [other than the sprocket wheel 25, andthe same bemgconnected,

one, by .means of a' sprocketchain 25` toasprocket wheel 16d keyed onthe shaft 16a other by means of a sprocket chain 26 to a 5,y et wheel26a keyed on one end 'of the ft 42 for driving the compression rollers40. `'llhe distributor sprocket Yshaft 25 Ais zmrnaled at its outer endin one end of .a race or radius rod 25l which is tulcrunied at .itsother end on the shaft 23 of the lower compression roller 17, while'theopposite end of the shatt25x is carried in a curved bear acarrea suchpurpose is obtained through the medium of a hand lever V25' whichpivotally engages the latter at a point intermediate lts ends and hasits inner end fulcrumed as at 25g to the said side wall of theapparatus.

The Shaft 23 of the lower compression roller 17 is further provided witha sprocket wheel 24 which, through the medium of a sprocket chain 25,drives a sprocket wheel 25' keyed on a transversely extending shaft 25",which, in turn, has aspur gear 25 keyed on its other end and arranged inmesh with a second spur gear 27 carried on the drive shaft 60 of thecarrying mechanism of the material compression frame to be hereinafterdescribed.

The feed compression frame heretofore mentioned comprises parallel sidebars 35,

36 suitably connected by Lshaped braces 37f and 37 to a cross beam 38which carries a U-shaped frame 39 for vsupporting the inter` frame mayosci late and 'conform to the quantity of material being fed to thecutting mechanism. rllhe door 46 of the compression frame is providedwith slots 47 in the bottom thereof to receive the conveying chains 48trained over the sprockets 49, 50 and collars 41, being driven by thesprockets 52, 53 and sprocket chain 54 connected thereto also operatingthe corrugated rollers in the manner vabove set forth. The shaft 55carrying the sprocket wheels 49, 50, is carried by the end blocks .56,said blocks being" provided with bolts 57 extending through slots 58;inthesides of the compression trame and are-'adjustableby means ofIsprocket chain 62 which in turn drives the forward sprocket 63and itsshaft 64, whereby power 1s communicated to the conveying mechanism ofthe Hare boards. The said shaft 64 is `provided at its o osito ends withspur gears 65 eachV ot w 'ch mhes liti mensa with a beveled gear 66disposed at an angle thereto and drives beveled gear 66 and sprocketwhich turn on the stub shafts 67 the stub shafts being supported beneathflare boards 68 disposed at an angle of substantially 45 with respect toand at opposite sides of the feed table 8 and rigidly connected theretoby cast brackets 69 which also connect the flare boards with the sillsof the main supportin structure.

Each stub shaft 67 a so carries a sprocket 70 and endless conveyor chain7l"aL which travels in a track or guide 72 on the flare boards andbeneath the brackets 69 and in a suitable guide 7()a supported by saidbracket, the said Hare board conveying chain passing over an adjustablesprocket wheel 71 carried between the arms 7 2a of a bearing 73, thelatter being adjustable by a set screw 74 extending through the bracket69 so that the boxing may be moved to the desired position andconsequently tightenl or loosen the chains as desired.

Disposed at one end of the flare boards, l have provided a pair ofgradually tapered inwardly directed guards or deflecting plates 75 theends 76 of which extend inwardly of the sides 33, 34 so that the ma.

`ferred to and thence to the cutting mechanisrn.

The upper stretches of the conveying chains 76, there being three innumber, op-

erate between the guides 77 and within the grooves 78 in the top of thefeed table the same being trained over the sprockets 79, 80, as clearlyshown in Figs. 2 and 9 of the drawing. The rear sprockets 80, 80a and80h are journalled in individual bearings 82, 82B and 82", respectively,as shown in Figure 8, which are adjustably supported in guide boxings83, 83a and 83b for the purpose of effecting a tightening or looseningup of the conveying chains 76, the adjustment being accomplished throughthe medium of threaded rods 84, 84 and 84h projecting from the free endsof the bearin s 82, 82 and 82b and outwardly of the adjacent transversebar of the supporting frame, the free ends of the rods being threadedfor the reception thereof of adjusting nuts 85.

Referring in particular to Fig. 7, it will be observed that the metallicstrip 86 secured on each flare board and adjacent the groove therein hasits bent end 87 disposed at an angle and coo erating with a resilientfinger 88 whereby t e endless chain operating in the groove 70 will bedeflected sufliciently to permit the triangular shaped prongs or plates89 of the links 90 to free themselves from the material being carried,eachof said links being formed with an eye 91 for connection to the nextadjacent link, thus permitting a certain amount of vibration of thelinks of the chain during the operation of the mechanism. Of course,only certain of the links are provided with the plates 89 and theendless chains are so mounted and operable in the grooves that shouldthe chains break at any point they will fall through the supportingframe and will not be carried to the cutting mechanism, one of thecommon objections to similar devices of this character now being used.

rl`he flare boards 68 are also provided with vertical sides or guards 92whereby the conveying chains of the flare boards are protected andconcealed from view as clearly suggested by Fig. 6 of the drawing.

ln the accompanying drawings, l have illustrated my invention embodiedin one form by way of example, and which in practice has been found tobe highly satisfactory in obtaining the desired results. lt will beobvious however that other embodiments may be adopted and that variouschanges in the details of construction may be resorted to by thoseskilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention. lt is furthermore understood that the invention is notnecessarily limited or restricted to the precise elements shown exceptin so far assuch limitations are specified in the subject matter beingclaimed.

Having shown and described my invention, what l now claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent of the U. S. is

l. A device of the class described comprising a support, a feed tableand Hare boards attached thereto mounted on said support and endlessconveying chains operable over the feed table and flare boards forconveying material tol a cutting mechanism.

2. A device of the class described comprising a support, a feed tableand flare boards attached thereto mounted on said support, inwardly bentdeflecting members at the forward end of the Hare boards for directingmaterial to the feedtable and endless conveying chains operable over'the feed table and flare boards for conveying the material to a cuttinmechanism.

3. A device of t e class described comprising a support, a feed tableand flare boards attached thereto mounted on said support, inwardlybent, tapering deflecting members secured at the forward end of theflare boards for directing material to the feed table, endless conveyinchains operable in grooves inthe bottom o said feed table and flareboards for conveying material to a cutting mechanism.

4. A device of the class dcscribedicomprising a support, a feed tableandHare boards attached thereto mounted on said'support, conveying chainshaving material gripping plates carried thereby operable over the feedtable and flare boards, and means for deflecting the gripping plates onthe flare board chains and releasing the same from the ma-Y terialcarried thereby at apoint in advance of the cutting mechanism. v

5. A device of the class described comprising a support, a feed tableand flare boards attached thereto mounted on said support, inwardly bentdeflecting members secured at the forward end of the flare boards fordirecting material to the feed table, conveying chains having grippinplates operable over the said feed table an flare boards, means forreleasing the said gripping plates from the material on the dare boardsat a point adjacent the deiiecting members and in advance of a cuttingmechanism.

6. A device of the class described .comprising a support, a feed tableand flare 4boards attached` thereto mounted on said support, endlessconveying chains operable over the feed .table and Hare boards, andcooperating gearing for driving said conve in chains.

device of the class described comprising a support, a feed table anddare boards attached thereto mounted on said support, endless conve ingchains operable over the feed table an Hare boards, means l foradjusting the tension on said conveying chains, and cooperating gearingfor driving said chains. s

8. A device of the class described comprising a feed table having Hareboards attached thereto, endless conveyors operable in grooves in thebottom of the feed table and dare boards, and rearwardly. and inwardlycurved deectors secured'to the dare boards above the grooves therein fordirecting material to the feed table at a point in advance dit , overthe of the cutting mechanism.

9. A device of the class described comprising a feed'table having dareboards attached v thereto, endless conveyors operable in f ooves in thebottom Jofthe feed table and are boards, means for tensionin saidendless conve ors, rearwardly an curved dedotors secured to the dareboards above the grooves therein for directing material to the feedtable, and cooperating gearfor operating the endless conveyors over Athe table and are boards.

10. A device of thel class described com- Iboa attached thereto mountedon said suprt, endless conveyor chains operable fl-.M table and dareboards, an osinwardly prising a supporta feed table and flare.

Merida 'operable over the eed table and flare boards,

an oscillatin compression frame having corrugated fee rollers carried bysaid support in advance of the dare boards and means attached to saiddans boards for directing the conveyed material beneath the frame andits corru i ted rollers.

r 12. A evice of ,the class described com- -prisinga su port, a feedtable Yand dare boards attac ed thereto mounted on said support,adjustable endless conveyor chains "operable over the feed tableand dareboards,

an oscillatlng com ression frame having corrugated feed ro lers andendless conveyors supported in advance of the dare boards, meansattached to said flare boards for directing the conveyed materialbeneath the frame and its roller and gearing for operating therespective endless chains ot said feed table, dare boards andoscillating frame.

13. A device of the class described com# prising a support, a feed tableand dare boards atted thereto mounted on said support, adjustableendless conveyor chains operable over ther feed table, adjustableconveyor chains operable over the Hare boards, cooperating gearin fordriving the respectlve chains, a vertically adjustableoscillatcompression trame hav1n spaced, feed roers and a plurality of austable conveyor chains and er ing for driving the last mentioned cha,inwardly and rearwardly extending decting members for directing theconveyed material beneath the oscillating frame at a t considerably inadvanceoI the rollers wrried thereby.

.14. A feedin device comprising a feeder having upwa all? and outwardlyconerging side guide rails, main conveyor means mounted longitudinallyof said feeder, and lateral endless conveyors mounted outwardly andupwardlyAo said operative movement t erewith to forward a .load of ein.

- ln testimony whereof, l atlix my signature hereto.

HERMAN -REHBEN ain conveyor for co-

